Held by the Waves
by Key of Magic
Summary: When Sally Jackson is kidnapped by the water gods Phorcys and Keto, it is up to Percy and Annabeth to venture through America and rescue her.
1. Chapter 1

**I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Key of Magic, and I'm new to this whole Fanfiction thing, but I'm definitely not new to writing. Gods, I've been doing it for ages! Well, this is my first fanfic, and it's a Percabeth one. Duh. I hope you guys like it!**

 _ **Percy**_

The colours of the campfire danced across Annabeth's face as she looked up at the stars. "Aren't they beautiful?" she whispered.

"Yes," Percy agreed, though he was sure of one thing - the stars weren't as beautiful as his girlfriend.

They were sitting around the campfire at Camp Half-Blood, enjoying the warmth and the stars that twinkled overhead. Campers were getting ready for bed, though some were doing their usual routines - pranking the other campers, getting some last-minute practice at the sword arena, or visiting the pegasi at the stables. But Percy couldn't think of anything better than to spend a night with Annabeth under the stars.

She took his hand and squeezed it. "Percy… I'm so glad that we're together and safe. All these years that we've been questing, I… I never told you that I…"

"Had a crush on me?" Percy asked, grinning.

Annabeth sighed. "Yes. Though, Luke…"

"I still think you like him."

Annabeth shifted. "You know how close I am to Luke. When I was a child, he and Thalia did everything for me. But now that he's gone…"

Percy didn't say anything. He didn't feel good about Luke's death, either; he felt like it had been his fault, like he could have saved the son of Hermes. But on the other hand, he had stopped Kronos the Titan from taking over the world.

He supposed that duty was important… but was it more important than following your heart? Percy knew that his fatal flaw was that he protected his friends over anything else, but was that such a bad thing?

 _Stop it_ , he told himself. _You're getting confused_.

He decided to focus on the pleasant night and stop thinking about death and monsters. Yes, what could possibly go wrong on a night like this, when he was with Annabeth?

Well, he was wrong, because being a demigod just wasn't that easy.

* * *

Percy and Annabeth were just about to wrap up for the night when Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the new oracle, came running over to them. "Percy!" she yelled. "Annabeth!"

Annabeth, who had now accepted Rachel's friendship (she hated her at first), stood up. "What is it?" she asked.

Rachel stopped in front of them, panting. She turned to Percy, her eyes wild in fear. "Y-Your mother…"

"My mother?" Percy asked. His heart stopped.

"She's been kidnapped," Rachel explained. "By the god Phorcys and his sister, Keto."

Percy racked his mind for information. Phorcys and Keto… Phorcys was a son of Gaea, the earth goddess, and a minor ocean god. That must have meant that he was on good terms with Poseidon, who was Percy's father. And Keto was the goddess of sea monsters. They couldn't be that bad, could they? Then why would they capture Percy's mother?

Either way, Percy _had_ to save her. He got up, his face stern.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was almost a whisper. "Are you okay?"

"I have to rescue her," Percy managed.

Annabeth stood up abruptly. "I'm coming with you."

"Are you sure, Annabeth? Phorcys might not -"

"Be nice," Annabeth finished. "You'll need my help. I'm the strategical one, aren't I?" She managed a faint smile.

Percy smiled back, though it faded when he thought of his mother. "Yes. We should go consult Chiron, then."

Rachel nodded. "Follow me."

At the Big House, Chiron was pacing back and forth in horse form, his tail swishing back and forth like it always did when he was nervous. When he saw Percy, he only seemed to get more panicked. "Percy -"

"I'm alright, Chiron." But Percy knew that it wasn't true. _His_ panic was rising, getting worse the more he thought about the horrible conditions his mother could be in. Gods, he had to go _fast_.

"Are you sure?"

Percy didn't answer. "We have to leave, Chiron. But… do you know where these gods are?"

Before Chiron could answer, Rachel started to glow green. Percy knew that a prophecy was coming. Her eyes lit up and she opened her mouth, only to let out a echoing voice:

 _Locate the minor gods of the sea,_

 _If you want to set your mother free._

 _They thrive in the building of glass,_

 _In the city with the name familiar to Atlantis, alas._

"Atlantis…" Percy murmured. "Isn't that where, like, mermaids are from?"

"But the prophecy said _in the city with the name familiar to Atlantis_ ," Annabeth said. "Atlanta?"

"Yes," Chiron muttered, rubbing his chin. "That makes sense, my dear. Now, _the building of glass_ …"

"Whatever that is, I'm sure you'll find it in Atlanta," Rachel said. "Now, you should go, before it's too late. Something tells me that you don't have much time."

"Wait, Rachel," Percy said. "How did you know about all of this?"

"I got a vibe," Rachel answered. "Oracle business."

That was enough for Percy. He believed Rachel, and also had a feeling that they had to do this fast. It was off to Atlanta they'd go.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Annabeth_**

How, exactly, they'd get to Atlanta, was something that Annabeth hadn't considered.

Planes were definitely out of the picture - if Percy flied, he pretty much died. Zeus would blast him out of the sky. _And_ , Annabeth thought, _To top it all off, that rhymes_.

The sea was a better option. They could sail along the east coast, until they hit the state of Georgia, then walk inland from there. Yes, Annabeth's Athena senses were working. Now, where would they get a boat?

As they were discussing, Annabeth asked this. "We have boats," Chiron said. "Small boats, which is all you need. Argus will lead you to them."

Annabeth nodded. "Thank you, Chiron."

"There is nothing you should thank me for. Now, good luck, demigods." After that, Chiron and Rachel walked (and trotted) away.

Argus, the head of the security at Camp Half-Blood, and the one with eyes all over his body, lead them outside and past the mess hall to the beach, where Long Island Sound glittered in the bay. The moon was out now, and it was full, which hopefully would give Percy and Annabeth enough light to lead their way.

There, on the beach, was a small wooden boat that would have held two demigods easily. Annabeth and Percy thanked Argus, after he had given them some supplies - ambrosia and nectar. Annabeth had her dagger, and Percy had his pen-turning-sword, Riptide; so hopefully they would be good.

Percy helped Annabeth climb into the boat. They didn't need oars to start going; Percy was a son of Poseidon, and he could control water, whether it was fresh or salty. Soon, they were edging away from the beach, catching the light waves and sailing along.

Annabeth gazed up at the stars again. How a peaceful night had turned into a dramatic one - well, that's what she had to expect from being a demigod. Life never came so easily, and the gods couldn't even let her have one nice evening with her boyfriend.

 _The gods_. Annabeth sometimes had second thoughts about them, though Athena was her mother. They never visited you when you wanted to see them, and they weren't always there when you needed them.

Annabeth looked at the water wistfully, then realized that some monster was playing with her mind. Little did she know that it was Gaea, the goddess of the earth, slowly awakening as the Prophecy of Seven came to life. Annabeth realized that the gods _were_ helping her, without being noticed, like Percy's powers being able to move the boat.

Her eyes started to waver, trying to close. But Annabeth forced them open, accusing herself of letting her guard down so easily. She couldn't fall asleep five minutes into the quest, but gods, she was so tired… it was way past her bedtime at camp.

"Get some sleep, Annabeth," Percy told her.

"Are you sure? Because I can -"

Percy smiled. "I'm fine. Go ahead."

Annabeth didn't argue. Her eyes drifted shut, and of course, even sleep wasn't peaceful. She had a dream.

* * *

She was in some sort of aquarium, standing in front of a large tank of water. In the water, she could see little black dots swimming about - fish of some kind, though they moved quickly and had sharp teeth that glinted in the dim light. _Piranhas_ , Annabeth realized.

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the speakers: "Welcome to my show! Right now, folks, we are about to feed poor Sally Jackson to the bitey fishies."

Annabeth gasped, and that was when she spotted Percy's mother dangling over the aquarium, tied up and gagged. Her green eyes were wild with fear as she looked down at the tank, her chest heaving. The piranhas must have sensed her, because they were getting restless; snapping their teeth and attempting to jump out of the water.

"Yes, yes, you'll get your treat soon," the voice said. "But right now, we should wait! We don't want it all to happen quickly, because we need _even_ more entertainment - Percy Jackson, to watch his mother die! Won't that be a show!"

Another voice started to blare through the speakers, giving random information about piranhas and other sea monsters. _Keto_ , Annabeth decided, and she figured the first voice must have been Phorcys.

At least she knew that the gods were waiting for Percy's arrival, but they wouldn't wait forever. Annabeth had a few days at most.

As she watched Sally Jackson thrash around, and dread crept up her chest, the dream began to fade. She woke with a start, sweat trickling down her face, as the sun shone into her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Percy**_

"Annabeth! Annabeth, are you alright?" Percy yelled. His girlfriend's eyes were wide and she was panting as she lay in the boat.

"F-Fine," she managed. "I had a dream…"

"What happened?"

Annabeth told him the story. Percy's heart sank with each word. His mother, about to be fed to piranhas? That was almost more than he could handle, because he could _talk_ to piranhas. His mother was about to be fed to one of his own father's creations.

"We have to hurry," Annabeth said. "Your mother… they won't keep her alive forever."

"I-I know," Percy managed. "The boat's going as fast as I can make it go."

"Where are we?" Annabeth looked around.

"Out of Manhattan, but there's still a long way to go. And, probably, monsters to fight…"

"Don't remind me."

At least that part seemed semi-normal. Percy had fought monsters before, and even gods. He could stop these minor ones and save his mother, couldn't he?

He had to.

He just didn't understand why Phorcys and Keto were doing this. Weren't they, like, friends of Poseidon? But then Percy remembered that most of the minor gods had sided with the Titans in the war - they felt that they weren't recognized enough, felt as unimportant. Maybe it was the same case scenario for Phorcys and Keto.

Either way, he had to stop them. And he didn't have much time.

Percy used all his willpower to control the boat, and tried to make it go faster, but his body just wouldn't listen. He was tired, too, but he couldn't take a nap; it was up to him to get them going. However, the thought of his mother in danger, hanging over a tank of piranhas, gave him a burst of energy and anger.

But he also tried not to think about it, because he knew it would drive him crazy and get him distracted. So, he was in a circle of emotions, unsure what to think about - _the water_ , he told himself. _Think about the water_.

Truly, the water always made him feel better. He looked down at it, thinking of his father underneath, ordering sea creatures around and training merpeople. Did he know about Sally Jackson's kidnapping? If he did, he would help, Percy knew; unless he was depending on Percy to do it himself.

Whatever the case, Percy had to go as fast as he could.

He and Annabeth sat in silence, pushing along through the meager currents. Along the coast, grassy hills dotted the horizon, with little houses and buildings planted here and there. It seemed like a peaceful place to live, but Percy knew that there were probably monsters lurking in between the trees, in the sky, and in the water.

 _In the water_ … Just as Percy thought about that, it came true.

A tentacle wrapped around the boat, making Percy and Annabeth nearly fall out. Percy stopped focusing on the water and uncapped Riptide, so the bronze sword sprang into its full form. He had no idea what the monster could be, but he didn't dare look. The boat shook, making Percy and Annabeth tumble over each other in a frenzy of arms and legs. Percy hoped he wouldn't accidentally stab her, or she wouldn't accidentally stab him.

A growl, Percy assumed, though it sounded like something gurgling in bubbles, came from the monster. Percy managed a peek over the boat and his eyes widened - a giant octopus had wrapped its purple tentacle around the boat, shaking it as its suction-like blisters kept hold.

"What _is_ that thing?" Annabeth screamed, but they had no time for Greek Mythology Class right then. Percy jumped over the side of the boat and into the water, riding the waves toward the tentacle monster.

Thankfully, the octopus turned its been galumphing eyes toward Percy. "Hey, Fish Face!" Percy yelled. "I'm the son of Poseidon!"

The giant octopus obviously didn't understand English. It made the strange gurgling sound again, and this time, Percy could understand what it was saying.

 _You will die painfully_ , the octopus told him in his mind.

 _Yeah, thanks,_ Percy replied. _What are you, anyway?_

 _What do you mean? I'm an octopus!_

 _Dude, you're HUGE._

 _For that comment, you shall pay!_

The octopus bellowed and wrapped his tentacle around Percy's waist. Annabeth screamed, but the monster ignored her, squeezing Percy instead. Fortunately, the son of the sea god was prepared, sending a wave of water at the octopus's face.

It stumbled back and yelled, _ARGGHH!_ in Percy's mind. He guessed Octopus's got frustrated, too.

 _Why are you hurting me?_ Percy asked. _Shouldn't you, like, respect me, like most sea creatures?_

 _I do not follow Poseidon_ , the octopus answered.

Percy really didn't want to know _who_ he followed, but he had a pretty good idea. They were the two gods that Percy and Annabeth were looking for.

"Well, that's too bad," Percy yelled out loud, "'Cause you're going down, tuna!"


	4. Chapter 4

**_Annabeth_**

Annabeth's boyfriend was a lunatic. She loved it.

Shouting in defiance, Percy sent another wall of water crashing into the giant octopus, with so much force that it sent the creature flailing into the ocean. But that wasn't it. Percy started jabbing at the monster with Riptide, but for some reason, it wouldn't dissolve into dust yet.

 _More power_ , Annabeth thought. She leaped out of the boat.

Before Percy could protest, she swam toward the octopus and raised her dagger. The creature's eyes widened before she plunged it into it, finally dissolving it into a pile of dust that quickly washed away in the currents.

Instead of getting mad at her, Percy grinned at his girlfriend. "You're awesome."

"Right back at you," Annabeth replied.

Percy picked her up with a whirlpool of water and plopped both of them back into the boat. Annabeth was glad to see that Percy no longer looked so devastated because of his mom. In fact, he looked riled up - ready to take on a couple of annoying gods.

"I have no idea what that thing was," Percy said, "And why it wouldn't die right away."

Annabeth shrugged. "Who know's with monsters? Come on, let's keep moving. Or do you want to take a break?" She realized that summoning all of that water must have drained most of her boyfriend's energy.

Percy nodded. "Just a little one, okay? Though we don't have much time…"

"It's alright, Percy. I'll keep my eyes open while you sleep."

Percy nodded, then yawned. He must have been exhausted; he hadn't slept the night before like she had. After curling up on the bench, he was softly snoring (and drooling) in seconds.

Annabeth sighed and looked around the empty water. She worried about Sally, too - she really liked Percy's mother, and hated for anything bad to happen to the sweet woman. And she worried what Percy's reaction to that would be.

After all he had been through, the gods couldn't have been so cruel. _Why him?_ Annabeth always wondered. _Why us?_

 _You are a hero_ , a voice told her, probably some creepy spirit trying to make her feel better, then throw her off later on. But something told her that the voice was right.

Yes, she was Annabeth Chase, a daughter of Athena, and she had faced many horrible things. She could do this. For herself, for Sally Jackson, and for Percy.

But she prayed that they would face no more monsters on this quest. Well, it just wasn't that easy for a demigod.

Two black fins pointed out of the water, slowly coming toward the boat. Annabeth tightened her grip on her dagger, wondering if she had to tackle two monstrous sharks, until two orcas poked their heads out of the water. They didn't make any noise, and thankfully, didn't attack, but hooked themselves onto the hull and started to pull the boat along.

Maybe they sensed that Percy needed this help, but Annabeth honestly didn't care why they were doing it. She was just glad that they were.

The sea rolled by in ripples of dark and light blue, the sun reflecting off the water and making it shimmer as if it were coated with fairy dust. Annabeth then marveled at how beautiful the ocean really was, and how that reflected off of Percy. He was like a calm sea breeze rather than crashing waves in a thunderstorm.

After about an hour, Percy woke up. He rubbed his eyes and they widened when he saw the orcas. "How did you get them to do that?" he asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "I didn't. They just did it themselves."

"Well, that's great." Now her boyfriend no longer looked so worried, but hopeful and ready to go into combat. Not that she wanted combat to happen.

Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until then. Percy noticed this, and asked, "You want to get something to eat on land?"

She glanced to the coast. It was dotted with trees, framed by the sunlight. "Sure," she replied. "But… the orcas?"

"Leave it to me." Percy leaned in toward the hull, and Annabeth guessed he was telepathically communicating with the sea creatures. They then changed course, heading to shore.

Annabeth watched as the buildings nestled in the trees got closer. Then, they were at the docks - there weren't really docks, though; more like a single boardwalk stretching out into the ocean.

They stopped at the edge and climbed up a metal ladder that led onto the deck. Annabeth was happy to walk and stretch her limbs, and she found that the smell of salt air was more familiar here - probably because it reminded her of the beach back at Camp Half-Blood.

"It doesn't look like there's much around here," Percy said as they walked along the boardwalk. "Just…"

"Over there." Annabeth pointed to a small building about a hundred yards away from the beach.

Percy nodded. "Seems legit. Let's go check it out."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Percy knew that something that looked cozy and utterly harmless was always the complete opposite of that. Monsters usually popped out, hiding in the folds of a mortal place, just like this one. So he kept his hand on Riptide the pen.

When they reached the door, it had a picture of a cute little girl, which wasn't exactly reassuring. "Aww," Annabeth cooed.

"It's probably a trick," Percy replied.

Annabeth nodded. "You can never be too prepared."

Together, they pushed open the door and trudged inside. The shop looked like a normal mortal one, with shelves stacked with books, tools, and toys, racks holding clothes of different colours and sizes. It was warm inside and the air smelled like a mix of everything that was being sold, like it did in most convenience stores.

Percy and Annabeth walked along, scanning the place for anything unusual. There was nothing. In fact, Percy started to really like this place… especially when he spotted food. Chocolate bars, bags of chips, dried fruits and sodas lined the shelves. Percy was ready to grab a handful until Annabeth put a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen," she whispered.

Percy did as told. There was something in the background, like someone humming… but it also kind of sounded like they were hissing. Percy hadn't thought that anyone was here, but now he wasn't so sure.

"At the counter," Annabeth said. "Come on."

They walked to the back of the room where, indeed, a woman was at the checkout, humming as she flipped through some flyers. She was quite beautiful, with lush dark hair and deep green eyes… Percy shook himself out of that thought.

"Hello," she greeted, her voice as sweet as honey. "How may I help you?"

"We're here to get some supplies," Annabeth said. Her tone was guarded, and Percy suspected that she knew something he didn't. Or at least, she was suspecting it.

"Well, the Children's Fun House is full of supplies! What do you need?"

"The Children's Fun House?" Percy asked. He couldn't help it. What kind of name was that?

"Yesss," the woman replied. Percy took a step back. It had dragged on as sort of a hiss, and the woman's eyes had darkened. Or maybe that was just his imagination, because in a split second, she was smiling again.

"Would you like to see our mascot?" The woman held up a stuffed toy. It was a snake, Percy could see, and it had a collar around its neck that read SLITHERY.

"Great name, huh?" the woman asked. "Kids love it!"

"Do kids actually come here?" Annabeth asked.

"Oh, of course!" the woman came around the counter and started to lead Percy and Annabeth through the store. "There's everything they need here - food, clothing, books, toys. And there's everything you need, too!"

She stopped at one of the clothing racks and handed Annabeth a little pink hat decorated with flowers that read, LITTLE PRINCESS. She handed Percy a blue one that read, LITTLE PIRATE.

"Oh, where are my manners?" the woman asked. "I'm Mia, by the way."

Percy told Mia he and Annabeth's names. "Wonderful!" she cheered, clapping her hands together. "Now, the food."

She led them to a freezer in the back. There was a horrible smell coming from it, and Percy wrinkled his nose. He saw why it smelled so bad when Mia opened it.

There were hunks of meat stacked up, completely exposed and full of blood. "You… You feed this to children?" Annabeth asked, sounding incredulous.

"Why, of course!" Mia replied. "Meat is good for the body, don't you know? Hmm, maybe you could use some more, though…"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, goodness, what am I saying? Maybe _I_ need some more!"

Whatever that meant, Percy's senses were telling him that it was not good. He raised Riptide and yelled, "What do you mean?"

"You don't need to get all angry, son of Poseidon," Mia growled. "It was just a suggestion. But, it looks like you don't have a choice!" Suddenly, Mia started taking off her pants. Percy didn't know what she was doing until she revealed a huge snake trunk - not like the one of the dracaenae that Percy fought during the Titan War, but _one_ slender mass of scales, rising up so that it carried Mia to the ceiling.

Percy could now see that she had the upper body of a human, with huge fangs that stuck out of her upper lip, and the lower body of a snake, with a rattle on the end of her tail. "Now you see my true form, demigods," she hissed. "And you must know why there's meat in my freezer."

Percy hoped that it was only animal meat, but he wasn't so sure. "What are you?"

Mia hissed with laughter. "Stupid, stupid. I'm a lamia!"

 _Mia_. Percy should have known. Annabeth must have suspected it, because she now looked prepared. "You may have killed some innocent people, but you're not going to kill us!" she yelled.

The lamia laughed again. "Correction: not killed them, _ate_ them. Well, I guess I did both."

Percy's insides bubbled with anger. He wasn't going to let this stupid snake lady take their lives just like she had to innocent children and demigods. No, he had defeated the queen of the dracaenae, who was worse than this woman!

His demigod instincts took over and he dashed toward Mia, stabbing her in the snake trunk. "Argh!" she yelled, and brought her tail around her, wrapping it around Percy and squeezing the air out of him.

 _Oh._ He hadn't thought of that.

Percy struggled in her grip, but she only squeezed tighter. Her eyes twinkled and the son of Poseidon smelled her decaying meat breath when she leaned in with her fangs intact. In seconds, she would be sinking them into his neck.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Annabeth had to do something. She wasn't going to let this dracaena wannabe kill her boyfriend.

With a battle cry, she ran before plunging her Celestial bronze knife into Mia's hide. The lamia turned, her yellow eyes glaring at the daughter of Athena. "And what do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"Let my boyfriend go," Annabeth replied. _Her_ voice almost sounded like a hiss.

Mia laughed. Hysterically, actually. Percy shook while she did this, his eyes bulging and his cheeks looking a little green. Annabeth took advantage of the moment, slicing the lamia's tail away and getting Percy free. He fell to the floor, gasping, but was soon back to normal. This was when Mia stopped and looked down at her wounded tail.

Annabeth was angry. _What takes this snake woman to crumble into dust?_ she thought.

Percy must have been thinking the same thing, and he was determined to get it done. "Hey!" he yelled. "Too weak to pick me up again, are you?"

 _What is he…_ Then Annabeth figured it out. Gods, Percy was awesome.

The lamia growled. "What? Of course not! Come here, you stupid waterboy!"

"Stupid?" Percy asked as he raised his arms to let Mia wrap her tail around his waist. "I don't think so." As she raised him to her lips, ready to bite, Percy plunged Riptide into her face.

She howled in pain and dropped the son of Poseidon, who landed with a _thump_ but otherwise seemed okay. "Come on, Percy!" Annabeth urged. "Let's get out of here." She took his hand and the two headed for the door.

"COME BACK!" Mia yelled, her voice echoing throughout the room. "I must make you my dinner!" But then, she was silent, and Annabeth knew she must have crumbled to dust.

She and Percy bust out of the Children's Fun House and back onto the boardwalk, running until they reached their boat. The orcas were still there, yipping before they took off, speeding down the current while Percy and Annabeth caught their breaths.

"That was insane," Percy said.

"Yeah. But you were great."

Percy smiled. "You, too. You okay, though?"

"Yeah, but… I'm still hungry."

Percy's smile only widened. He took something out of his pocket, and Annabeth could see that it was a wrapped up club sandwich, divided in two so that she and her boyfriend could each have a piece.

"How did you -"

"I have my ways."

Annabeth gave him a look.

"Naw, I just slipped it into my pocket on the way out."

He handed her half of the sandwich and, gladly, Annabeth bit into it. The taste of meat and vegetables (animal meat, thank gods) encased her mouth. "Mmm," Annabeth mumbled. "Food never tasted so good."

"Are you sure about that?" Percy asked. "Considering we just fought a human-eating lamia?"

They both laughed. For the first time since the beginning of the quest, worry seemed off of their shoulders. Sure, they had nearly gotten killed by a snake woman, but they were alive and on their way to Atlanta. They could defeat those gods, Annabeth was sure. Everything was going to be okay.

They sailed along the current, the orcas yipping at each other as their tails splashed against the water. At this rate, going full speed with the wind whipping in Annabeth's face, they would reach Atlanta in about a day.

She sat back, leaning against Percy's shoulder. "I have to say, this is pretty romantic."

"Okay, daughter of Aphrodite."

Annabeth gave him that signature glare. "Come on, Per -"

"Just joking. This is great."

At that time, Annabeth heard the flatness in his voice. She glanced up and saw that a imaginary cloud of darkness had washed over his face. She knew what he was thinking about, the other female in Percy's life that he loved so dearly. His mother.

Annabeth sighed, knowing that the moment of happiness couldn't last forever.

"It's okay," she assured, giving him a hug. "You'll get to see your mom again."

"Okay…" Percy seemed to give her a fake smile.

"Look," Annabeth continued. "We've been through countless adventures. We've even defeated a Titan! We can punch old Phorcys and Keto in the face."

"I know, but what if they've already hurt her? What if we're too late?"

Annabeth hadn't considered that. Sure, Phorcys and Keto were waiting for her and Annabeth, but she didn't know how long they'd wait. What if it was too late?

 _Stop it_ , she told herself. _We're going as fast as we can._

"We're not," she decided. "I don't think it's just your mother that Phorcys and Keto want revenge on. It's you."

"Revenge for what? I still don't understand."

Annabeth tapped her chin. "Me, either."

Percy managed a smirk. "Wow, I've never heard you say those words before."

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain."

They both laughed, and happiness seemed to once again overcome. But this time, Annabeth didn't want it to leave.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

After more days of sailing along the waves, scouring the last bits of food and watching seagulls fly overhead, they finally reached Atlanta. At this point, Percy was practically jittering in his seat. He wondered if that was because of his ADHD or his anxiousness, or maybe both.

The sun framed the buildings that rose tall behind the docks where they parked the boat. Citizens were shopping at the pier, taking a swim in the water, or eating at the beachside cafes. If Percy were here on different circumstances, he would have liked to enjoy the sun with Annabeth. But things just weren't that simple when you were a demigod.

"Alright," Annabeth said as she hopped out of the boat, pulling Percy with her. "The prophecy said, _They thrive in the building of glass_. So we have to find a building of glass."

Percy looked around. Most of the office buildings farther inland were made out of glass, but why would two sea gods be in an office building? No, they were somewhere else… the demigods just had to find out where.

Percy and Annabeth began walking along the pier toward downtown. Citizens didn't give them second looks even after they had climbed out of a small boat led by two orcas, who had just disappeared under the water after the demigods got out. _Must have been the Mist_ , Percy thought.

"So, where do you think the gods are?" Annabeth asked as they passed countless glass buildings. Percy explained why he didn't think they were in any of them.

"I don't know," Percy replied. "Maybe we can ask someone."

They spotted an old, bored-looking man who stood at an INFO booth, watching pedestrians. "Convenient," Percy muttered, and he hoped nothing bad would happen, but he approached the man anyway and started to talk.

"Hey," Percy greeted. "Do you know where there's a building of glass in this city?"

The man grunted, looking Percy and Annabeth up and down. "And why should I help teenagers like you?" he asked in a scruffy voice.

"Uh…" Annabeth replied, "because you know this city?"

"True, but how can I trust you?"

Percy sighed. "We won't do anything, sir. We just need your help."

"Whatever. Tell Hermes I'm not happy about this."

" _Hermes?"_

"Yeah, god of travelers. Never heard of him? Ah, I suppose teenagers aren't into that stuff these days."

"N-No, it's just that we weren't expecting…" Annabeth stuttered, but then dropped it. "Never mind. Can you help us?"

"Glass building, you say? Well, the aquarium is glassy."

That made sense. Sea gods would _definitely_ hang out in an aquarium. "And where is that?"

"Hail a cab, tell the driver. They'll know."

"Okay. Thanks." Percy and Annabeth left, knowing where to go but still a little confused.

"Was that guy… mortal?" Annabeth asked.

"I think so," Percy replied, frowning.

"Huh. I guess it was just a Greek god reference."

Percy never heard that before, because before he was a demigod, he never took interest in Greek mythology. But some mortals did. Of course, they didn't know the truth…

Percy hailed a cab and he and Annabeth climbed in. "Where to?" the driver asked.

"The aquarium," Annabeth said.

"Alrighty. Buckle up."

* * *

The drive wasn't long. They skimmed through tall buildings, more shops and restaurants, all leading farther downtown. Atlanta was a city framed by hills, and also had open parks where kids played with their parents. It seemed like a peaceful city.

When they reached the aquarium, Percy found himself staring. It was a large building that was indeed made out of glass, decorated with designs of sea creatures. Of course, he loved this stuff, but knowing that it was all captured in this place, it made him sad.

He and Annabeth paid the cab driver then used the last of their money on tickets into the aquarium. It felt stupid buying them, since they weren't going in to look at the fish but to save Percy's kidnapped mother. But nobody knew that.

When they stepped into the main entrance, in front of a huge glass cage holding a sea turtle, Percy wasn't sure what to do. Should they scream, _Hey, Phorcys and Keto, we're here!_ Or walk around and wait for the gods to find them?

Fortunately, they had help. A woman with frizzy brown hair, glasses, and braces, so that she looked like a complete nerd, came up to them with a grin on her face. "Right this way! Follow me!"

Percy saw that her name tag was KATE, so he guessed she was a regular mortal who was about to give them a tour. But he decided to just go with it, because Annabeth, for some reason, seemed keen to.

"Kate," she mumbled. "Kate."

"Yes, yes, that's my name!" Kate cheered. "Glad you like it."

But Annabeth was just muttering to herself. _Daughter of Athena stuff_ , Percy decided.

They followed Kate through the aquarium, past fish of so many different colours that Percy kept communicating with. _Help us,_ they chided.

 _I will, but I gotta help my mom first, okay?_ he replied.

The fish nodded, but Percy couldn't ignore the glumness in their eyes.

Kate didn't seem very interested in the fish. She kept speeding along, humming to herself, until they reached a huge glass cage holding many different kinds of sea animals. "Here we are!" she chided.

"Uh, another cage?" Percy asked. "That's great."

"No, silly! I want to come through _this_." Suddenly, a tunnel opened up in the wall, and Kate motioned for Percy and Annabeth to walk through. "Let's go!"

"Okay, where did that come from?" Percy asked.

"It was always here. But only you can see it."

Percy didn't know what that meant, but he followed Kate through the tunnel. The walls were glass, so they could see fish swimming overhead and beside them. Percy thought that was cool.

Finally, they entered another room. But when Percy saw what was in it, he gasped.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Monsters. Everywhere.

Annabeth's heartbeat quickened. Sure, they were in tanks, but there were _monsters_ in a mortal aquarium! _This is not a mortal aquarium_ , her brain told her, and then she remembered.

Kate. Kate had been in her dream.

Well, the _name_ Kate had been in her dream. On the wall, near the piranha cage, on a silver plaque, read KATE and PORKY. Annabeth had no idea what that meant, so she hadn't mentioned it to Percy. But now she decided that Kate, whoever she was, was _not_ a mortal person and was probably leading them to their deaths.

But what choice did Annabeth have?

If she didn't follow this woman, she would probably kill her. And if she did, she would also probably kill her.

Annabeth's curiosity got the best of her and she followed Kate as the not-exactly-human tour guide talked about the monsters. She knew _way_ more about them then the regular fish, and seemed to care a lot, even though they were all locked up.

The monsters didn't move. Instead, they stayed in their caves, hid in their corals, or just stood there, suspended by the water. They all had a bored look in their eyes, and Annabeth couldn't blame them. Knowing monsters, they had probably been in here for centuries.

Were they also captives of Phorcys and Keto? Unlike the giant octopus Percy and Annabeth had battled on the way to Atlanta, these monsters didn't seem to _work_ for the gods. They just seemed… well, there.

The gears in Annabeth's mind still turned, trying to figure out what was going on. She hoped that Kate was leading them to where they needed to go; where Sally Jackson was hanging over a piranha cage, and where the two sea gods were waiting.

Maybe Kate worked for Phorcys and Keto, just like the octopus. She definitely seemed interested in sea monsters.

"Alright, here we are!" Kate cheered, stopping in front of a set of iron double doors. She pushed them open to reveal the demigods' worst nightmare, and exactly what they had been looking for.

Sally Jackson was there, tied up with her eyes wide in fear, suspended over a tank of hungry piranhas. "Mom…" Percy whispered, but he didn't seem able to say anything else.

Annabeth was speechless, too. How could someone capture an innocent mortal woman? Especially Sally Jackson, since she was the nicest mortal Annabeth knew. Maybe that's why the sea gods captured her.

"Mmph!" Sally replied, obviously relieved that they were here. But then a voice sounded through the speakers.

"Welcome!" It was the voice in Annabeth's dream, probably Phorcys's. There was a crackling sound and a burst of light, and Annabeth saw that mini fireworks had just exploded in each of the sea monsters' tanks. But they still looked extremely bored.

Percy got back to his senses and pulled out Riptide. "Show yourself!" he yelled. "We know who you are."

"Do you? That's great!" Another set of fireworks in each tank.

"Cut the act, Phorcys," Annabeth demanded. "And let Sally Jackson go!"

"Do you think I'm going to listen to you just because you're a daughter of Athena? Wrong! I'm keeping her tied up. Although, now I've got my best prize."

"We're not your prizes," Percy grumbled. "Now get out here and fight!"

"Well, my sister's here."

"Where?" Annabeth looked around.

"Right next to you, demigod dummies!"

 _Does he mean Kate?_ Annabeth wondered. Then it hit her. Kate. Keto.

She was standing right next to the goddess of sea monsters.

Keto grinned, but not in a nice way. "That's right. I'm Keto, sister to Phorcys, goddess of sea monsters."

"But why does your name tag say Kate?" Percy asked.

She frowned. "Ah, the uniform company can't spell my name right. Now, quit stalling! Let's fight!"

Annabeth didn't know _who_ couldn't spell her name right, but she decided not to focus on that. She pulled out her Celestial bronze dagger and waved it in the air.

Keto grinned and raised her arms. Annabeth didn't understand what she was going to do, because her monsters couldn't affect them out of the water. Unless…

 _CLASH!_ Behind Annabeth, the piranha tank burst, sending waves of water into the room and lifting Annabeth with them. Drowning would have killed her, but Keto wasn't that kind. She summoned at least a dozen sea monsters who gnashed their teeth and started toward the daughter of Athena, then disappeared.

Annabeth knew she had to find Percy to at least stop herself from being overcome with water. And Sally… She was wrapped in thick ropes, unable to move. Annabeth had to find her, too.

She swam through the water, hearing Phorcys cackle through the microphone and dodging many angry-looking sea monsters, finally bumping into Percy. He looked relieved and brought her close, creating a bubble around them like that time in the Sea of Monsters, when Annabeth had listened to the Sirens. But it was worse than that now.

"We have to find my mom," Percy said. "Come on!"

Wherever they swam, the bubble followed. Unfortunately, so did the monsters. Annabeth and Percy defended as best they could while swimming, but they were mostly focused on keeping their eyes peeled for Sally Jackson. Then they spotted her, propped up against one wall, her eyes wide in fear as she struggled to breathe.

Controlling the water, Percy brought her into the bubble and Annabeth cut the ropes. "Thank you!" Sally squeaked, wrapping her arms around the demigods.

Just then, about ten piranhas and a long, scaly eel approached their bubble, growling. "Uh, hugs later," Percy said. "Fighting now!"

He raised Riptide and cut through the piranhas. They crumbled to dust, and Annabeth figured that they were actually _monsters_ , not regular piranhas you saw in mortal aquariums. Yup, this was definitely not a mortal aquarium.

Annabeth started battling the sea serpent, shielding Sally behind her. The creature tried to bite her, but soon she cut it and it turned to dust. However, she wasn't quick enough for the next attack.

A piranha surged forward and bit her arm.

"AAAAH!" Annabeth shrieked, the pain blinding her. The creature's fangs were still sunk into her skin, and it blinked up at her, its eyes wild. _I must taste good_ , Annabeth thought half-heartedly.

Just then, Percy raced up to her, thank the gods. But Annabeth didn't want him to leave what he was doing, because then they'd all be sea monster food…


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. When he had heard her scream, he hoped that he wasn't too late. But she had only been bit by a piranha. A monstrous piranha.

He was about to reach for the ambrosia he had brought in his pocket, but his mother put a hand on his arm. "Go," she urged. "Stop the monsters. I'll help her."

"Are you sure?"

Sally smiled, though she still looked scared from her experience. "I'm sure. Go, Percy. Be a hero."

Percy didn't want to leave Annabeth, but he handed his mother the ambrosia and swam away. He knew he had to defeat these monsters, and he also trusted that his mother could help his girlfriend. He just wished that she was fighting with him, because all though he didn't want her to get hurt, it felt good fighting with her - like he wasn't so alone.

A sea monster opened its mouth and screamed, taking Percy out of his thoughts. He slashed it to dust.

He only had a couple of monsters to go. When he was finished, he hoped Phorcys and Keto would show themselves. He really wanted to punch both of them in the face.

 _SLASH! HACK! WHOOSH!_ The sounds of Percy fighting rippled through the water, as he cut off monsters' heads and stabbed them until there was nothing left. He floated, breathing heavily, in the middle of the makeshift ocean.

"Well done, demigod," Phorcys's voice echoed.

"Come out," Percy growled. "Or are you too coward?"

Just then, the water disappeared. Percy landed on concrete and looked up. There stood Keto, next to a man with crab legs. Literally, crab legs. His upper half was human, except for his crab claws, where he wore a green suit that read PORKY'S FOLLIES, but his bottom half was spindly crab legs.

Percy guessed that the uniform company Keto had been talking about must have spelled his name like Porky, but that didn't matter then. Phorcys started to talk.

"Coward, you call me?" he asked.

"And kind of crabby," Percy answered.

Phorcys growled. "That wasn't funny. And I know funny, since I can be funny."

"To the point," Percy said. "Why did you capture my mother?"

"Guess what," Phorcys began, starting to scuttle around on his crab legs. "Us minor gods never get any attention. How do you think that makes us feel? Bad. Very bad. So, we do bad things."

"Like capturing an innocent woman?"  
Keto nodded approvingly, and Phorcys continued.

"We captured her because she once loved Poseidon. And we hate Poseidon. He gets all the attention, but we're sea gods, too! And _you_ , Percy Jackson. You get attention, too! You defeated the Titans, and have to rub it in all of our faces!"

"I never rubbed it in your -"

"Whatever. We still hate you! Therefore, we captured your mommy."

This made sense. He knew how the minor gods (and their demigod children) were never recognized, and how they were extremely angry about it. But luckily, he had made a deal with the Olympians right after the Titan War, which included that they start paying attention to those gods and their children. Percy guessed that it had yet to come into play with Phorcys and Keto.

He explained to them about the deal. Their eyes brightened for a little bit, but as soon as he was finished, they turned bitter. "As if we're going to believe that! We can't trust the gods," Phorcys said.

"Um, you're a god."

"A _good_ god! A trustworthy one!"

Percy found that hard to believe. "Well, you still didn't need to capture your mother."

"Yes, we did," Keto interceded. "And we're angry about the past, too, about all those centuries where we've just been floating in the deep. _Literally_. Now it's time for revenge!"

"My sister's right," Phorcys agreed. "And now it's not only your mother who'll be captured. It's -"

"Nobody," boomed a familiar voice. Percy was shocked.

That was the voice of… of -

There was a blinding light in the room, and then Poseidon was standing there, his trident in his hand. He was in his usual outfit, a tropical vacation shirt and bermuda shorts, and his eyes twinkled with amusement. Was he really having _fun_ at this moment?

"Hello, Phorcys and Keto," Poseidon greeted. "I see that you are having a word with my son."

"Y-Yes, sir," Phorcys stuttered.

 _Wow_ , Percy thought. _Mr Crab Legs talks about how much he hates the gods, then he cowers in fear before them_.

"And I see that you kidnapped dear Sally Jackson," Poseidon continued.

A squeak came from across the room. Percy saw his mother, her eyes wide as she stared at Poseidon, Annabeth right next to her, looking just as amazed.

Poseidon smiled. "Is that right?"

"Y-Yes, sir. But -" Phorcys seemed to have gathered up some courage, but Poseidon stopped him from letting it out.

"And you now wanted to kidnap my son, Percy?"

"Yes. Now -"

"And you must understand that all of those things are _against my laws_."

"I -"

"So, Phorcys," Poseidon chuckled, "Please go away, and do not ever bother my family again. You hear?"

Phorcys's crab claws balled into fists. "You can't tell me what to do! I -"  
"Oh, really?" Poseidon raised his trident.

"I… I…" Phorcys stuttered. Then he disappeared. Keto looked around for a moment, then at the glowering Poseidon, let out a squeak, and followed the lead of her brother.

Poseidon laughed. Sally and Annabeth then joined Percy, and the god of the sea seemed grateful to see all of them. "Thanks, Dad," Percy said. "You really helped."

"Ah, not a problem. I don't like Phorcys and Kate. I sometimes refer to them as exactly what their name tags state." He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Then he turned to Percy's mother. "Are you alright, my dear? Did they hurt you?"

"Well…" Sally rubbed her wrists. "Except for the ropes and the annoying speakers, no. Thank you for helping us, Poseidon. But Percy and Annabeth…" she turned to the demigods. "I thank you the most."

Percy couldn't resist giving his mother a hug. "We _had_ to save you."

"Yes, but you probably went through so much on your way here."

Percy and Annabeth exchanged glances.

"We'll tell you about it later," Annabeth decided. "Right now, we should get home."

"You should get back to camp. Chiron will be waiting for." Sally turned to Poseidon. "Uh…"

Percy's father took out something from his pocket. They were three shiny pearls, and Percy guessed what they could be used for.

"Crush these under your feet," Poseidon explained, "And they will take you wherever you want to go."

Percy nodded and took the pearls. "Thanks again."

"I must go now," Poseidon said. "Godly matters to attend to. Goodbye, everyone." With a woosh of salt-smelling air and a sound like waves rolling over a beach, Poseidon was gone.

Percy each handed his mother and Annabeth a pearl, then kept one for himself. "This will take me back to my apartment," Percy's mother said, twirling the pearl in her fingers. "I suppose I should say goodbye now."

"I'll see you again," Percy promised. "Bye, Mom." He and Annabeth gave Sally Jackson one last hug.

"Alright," Annabeth said after they pulled away. "On the count of three. One… two… three!" They threw their pearls on the ground and crushed them under their feet.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Annabeth was relieved to be back at Camp Half-Blood.

The sight of cabins, demigods playing volleyball, and pegasi flying through the air calmed her down. She was back home.

Percy took her hand and they started toward the Big House, but Chiron was already on the deck, looking up at the sky.

"You're back!" he exclaimed when he saw them.

"Yes," Percy said. "And…" He yawned. "I'm tired."

"Me, too," Annabeth agreed, leaning against her boyfriend. "We'll tell you all about it tomorrow, Chiron."

He smiled. "Get some sleep, demigods."

Percy and Annabeth did as told, drifting toward their cabins. Annabeth was so tired that she just went into the Poseidon cabin with Percy, but he didn't seem to mind.

"G'night, Annabeth," he said. Then he kissed her.

That woke her up. When she pulled away, her eyes were twinkling. "I love you, Seaweed Brain."

"I love you, too, Wise Girl."

"That was one crazy adventure."

"What else is new?"

Annabeth laughed. She wondered what other adventures were to come. And little did she know about the Prophecy of Seven that was about to come into play… But she still had a little time to relax. Just a little.

 **THE END**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this fanfic. It's my first-ever on , but not my first ever in life. ;) I've always been a writer. Follow me, read my stories, and review them please. Thanks!**


End file.
